"Where 'Shear Madness' has the advantage is in its inclusive spirit of fun…This is genuinely all-ages entertainment, not a 'family-friendly' show that will leave grown-ups stultified...The tone depends hugely on the performers, and here this production does very well, particularly with Mr. Noonan, who, as the lead investigator, is impressively skilled at crowd control, and Mr. Ahnquist, whose Tony is an unapologetic sprite."
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"Director Bruce Jordan has gathered an excellent cadre of character actors for 'Shear Madness’s' belated New York premiere…Well acted if not exactly captivating, 'Shear Madness' is as insubstantial as Trump’s coiffure. It’s entertainment whipped up for those who find murder, at least in fictional form, potentially uproarious."
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"Extended out-of-town tryouts are the stuff of legend — but 36 years? 'Shear Madness,' with franchises all over the country, was originally intended to open in New York after a 1980 Boston tryout. But Beantown audiences were so receptive that the show just kept running...The comedy still isn’t sharp enough for Gotham, but the show’s improvisational nature demands constant topical updates — and New Yorkers won’t be shy about telling the company where to go."
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"The script features a barrage of lame one-liners and predictable gags...The overall atmosphere is so giddily loony that it becomes infectious, and the talented ensemble work so hard at getting laughs that their efforts are justly rewarded."
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"Using a thoroughly realistic set and equally authentic costumes, Jordan's staging is absurdly enjoyable, even in its weaker moments. True, the cast members have been directed to be too loud, and the dialogue is more ungainly than graceful. But all such quibbles disappear when everyone in the room has one focused goal: to figure out who killed Isabel. 'Shear Madness' is like a funny version of Law & Order — and it's the perfect show for those among us who think we can spot the murderer."
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"A show that will appeal to bachelorette parties, groups spending a night on the town, and others looking for a few laughs -- but who are not necessarily interested in the theatre per se -- 'Shear Madness' is essentially beyond criticism. The audience at the performance I attended had a fine time. I was aghast, then mildly amused -- and I voted with the majority for the killer."
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"There's nothing of note to care about in the script...The audience's questions and eagle eyes push the cast and the story in new directions, and reveal a bewilderingly in-depth amount of detail beneath the craziness. That's what makes 'Shear Madness' so special despite its pedestrian underpinnings: You're seeing the purest expression of theatre, with the performers and audience in such symbiotic communion that they must create something bigger together than would otherwise be possible."
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"What's noteworthy is the cast. The six well-trained actors may not have imagined that, at this point in their careers, they'd be playing characters as flat and stereotypical as these; but their comedic and improvisational virtuosity and their funny, sometimes witty, ad libs make 'Shear Madness' a reasonable choice for bachelorette parties, millennial date nights, and youth groups visiting from afar."
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